Cookies
by TimelessLoves
Summary: This is a response to the following challenge: To explain the story behind the "cookies" comment that Ryan overheard Season 2, Episode: Michael's Birthday


It was fun writing these two and if they don't seem strictly according to character, it's because I wanted to show some of the human feelings that I think are underneath their slightly odd exteriors. I think that they noticed, and were interested in each other, long before the writers officially put them together.

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters or anything possibly related to NBC.

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Angela settled into her chair with a huff, sipping her hot tea and mentally chastising her errant co-workers. Even lost in her troubled thoughts, she could hardly have missed the moment when Dwight Schrute flung open the door and marched furiously to the kitchen counter. Startled by the vehemence, she glanced up, taking in the scowl on his normally emotionless face. As the movement caught Dwight's attention, he threw a glance in her direction, then stopped.

The tense set of his jaw relaxed, furrows in his brow disappearing, he observed the petite, fragile looking, blonde. Nodding in her direction, he took a deep breath as the steaming coffee filled his mug. Approaching her table, he halted in front of the fridge.

"Please excuse my tone, Angela," he began apologetically. "Thanks to Jim's newest pranks, I haven't been able to accomplish half of what I should have today."

The deep timber of his voice caused a shiver to run down Angela's spine. Instantly pulling herself upright, her eyes steadily met his gaze as she heard her voice primly match his formal tone.

"No apologies necessary, he can be very annoying at times."

The lines on Dwight's forehead began deepening again as he considered his morning. "First, my cursor refused to move. Of course I assumed my mouse was broken, until I discovered my mouse-hole had been covered. Then I couldn't access my desktop or files."

Glancing up, Dwight noticed that Angela seemed truly sympathetic to his tale, a sharp contrast to the smirks and laughs he normally encountered. Seating himself across from her, Dwight found his eyes were naturally able to meet her amber ones without much effort.

Her slight nod encouraged him to continue. "It took two hours of following his hints to unscramble my passwords and get my email open. In between those two incidents, my keyboard wouldn't type, so I jiggled every wire and cord, until Oscar finally came by and suggested that I check my default font color. I did and it was set on white."

Following his tirade, Dwight leaned against the back of his chair, the frustration he described plainly visible in slump of his shoulders.

For a moment Angela's conscience debated the ethics of spreading information about a co-worker. But the steady eye contact Dwight had made during his rant was irresistable. Silencing the nagging voice in her head, she leaned slightly over the table. "I can understand your frustration. Not an hour ago, he actually came over to my desk and requested more copies of the forms that everyone _else_ filled out last Friday. The forms that I am supposed to be sending to Corporate _tonight_." Visions of a missed deadline caused her forehead to pucker once again.

Dwight snorted. "Did he have an excuse?"

Angela scowled as she answered. "He said his grandmother was moving and he spent the day helping her out. Of course, the little curly-haired hussy backed him up, saying he'd called in and she'd informed Michael. I'm going to have to input information from those forms before sending them to corporate, so I'll have to stay at least an hour late, which means I won't get to Pampered Pets before they close." Frustrated, Angela balled up her napkin and moved to get up from her seat.

Dwight stood quickly as well, watching as her brisk angry stride carried her effortlessly to the sink. "You were going to Pampered Pets this evening?" he inquired.

Angela glanced over her shoulder. "Yes, I'm out of Muffin's favorite treat. If I don't come home with those cookie bits tonight, he'll think I don't care about him and then he won't eat."

Dwight nodded sympathetically. "I understand. My cousin Mose loves their white chocolate dipped poodle biscuits. If he doesn't have one at breakfast, he'll hide in the outhouse all day. I gave him the last one this morning, which is why I also need to make my purchases tonight."

Puzzled, Angela glanced at the man beside her for a moment, wondering why on earth a human would eat dog food or have an outhouse.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Dwight's quiet inquiry. "By the time you finish inputting your data, it will be quite late and very dark outside. May I stay behind as well and escort you through our mutual dessert errand, to ensure your safety?"

For a second Angela was taken aback at the unexpected offer, warmth filled her cheeks as the earnestness of his tone made itself felt. Realizing that he stood awaiting her answer, she allowed a small smile to cross her face before briskly answering. "As you be will attending to the same errand afterwards and I'm sure you have some work to do during the intervening period of time, I believe your assistance would be appropriate and appreciated."

The corners of Dwight's mouth twitched upward momentarily as he held the door open for her. Marching back to her desk, Angela attacked her work with renewed vigour, happily anticipating getting some cookies.


End file.
